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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27818473">A  Hippopotamus for Midwinter</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/devilinthedetails/pseuds/devilinthedetails'>devilinthedetails</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>PIERCE Tamora - Works, Tortall - Tamora Pierce</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Family, Gen, Humor, Midwinter, Midwinter Presents, holiday spirit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:02:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27818473</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/devilinthedetails/pseuds/devilinthedetails</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Vania wants a hippopotamus for Midwinter.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jonathan of Conté/Thayet jian Wilima</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A  Hippopotamus for Midwinter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the Merry Melodies event at Goldenlake. Inspired by the song "I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas."</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A Hippopotamus for Midwinter</p>
<p>“What would you like for Midwinter, my dear?” Jon asked his daughter Vania one afternoon at lunch as the last days of harvest drew to a close, the sun hung low in the sky, the last red and orange leaves fell from the trees, and a cool November bled into a frigid December.</p>
<p>His other children were all straightforward enough to purchase presents for, but Vania was something of an enigma this year. Roald would be politely pleased with any gift he received. Sapphire-studded earrings had been shipped to Kalasin in Carthak this week so they could be certain to arrive before the holiday. Jasson wanted a copy of a rare book on the lives of the Old Ones. Liam had made his desire for a new dagger from Raven Armory quite clear to his parents, while Lianne had been more subtle in her hinting that a falcon for hunting would be a delight to her. What Vania wished for, however, was a mystery, and that was not a good thing, since she was famous in the family for her prickliness when she didn’t get what she wanted, and it would be a shame if the Midwinter holiday were marred by her pouting.</p>
<p>“I thought you’d never ask, Papa.” Vania heaved a dramatic sigh she punctuated by setting down her silver fork. “I want a hippopotamus for Midwinter.”</p>
<p>This sentence seemed so absurd that Jon wondered if his aging ears had failed him entirely and reflexively glanced across the table at his wife to confirm that he had heard correctly. When she only returned his baffled expression, he echoed his youngest daughter’s words blankly, “You want a hippopotamus for Midwinter?”</p>
<p>“That’s what I said, Papa.” Vania bobbed her head in impatient affirmation.</p>
<p>“The hippopotamus is native to Carthak and hard to bring here,” Thayet pointed out as Jon realized that in his shock he had left a forkful of roast mallard suspended halfway to his mouth.</p>
<p>He lifted it to his lips and bit into the roast mallard, savoring the rich onion sauce flavored with Tyran wine, cinnamon, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and mustard seeds as Vania whined, “Kalasin’s married to the Emperor of Carthak, and what is the point of having a sister married to Carthak if she can’t even get me a hippopotamus for Midwinter?”</p>
<p>“The point is alliance with the greatest power in this region,” Jon answered more severely than he intended, offended that anyone, even a child, could fail to see the unfolding of his grand design to raise Tortall’s prominence in the world. Forging an alliance–a marriage–with the young Carthaki Emperor had been an essential part of that grand design. One in which he took considerable pride.</p>
<p>“The hippopotamus is a large animal.” Thayet’s light, teasing tone was meant to cut through any tension in the room, Jon knew. “How do you know it won’t eat you, Vania?”</p>
<p>“Because the hippopotamus eats plants, not people.” Vania pushed green peas she obviously had no interest in consuming around her plate. “Master Lindhall told me, and he lived in Carthak, teaching at the university, for years.”</p>
<p>“Why do you want a hippopotamus, Vania?” Jon tried again to inject some semblance of rationality into the discussion even though he sensed it was a futile endeavor.</p>
<p>“Because they’re cute, they lounge around in mud, and they’re good swimmers,” Vania explained in a haughty manner that suggested this should have been instantly apparent to anyone who had ever heard of the hippopotamus.</p>
<p>“Wouldn’t you like a nice porcelain doll instead?” Jon remembered seeing many noble daughters carrying delicate porcelain dolls imported from the Yamani Islands cradled in their arms and hoped such an idea could distract his youngest child, convincing her to desire another gift instead. “You’re a little girl, and little girls love porcelain dolls, don’t they?”</p>
<p>“Some little girls love porcelain dolls.” His wife shot him the reproachful look that announced her opinion that he had put his foot in his mouth. “Not all little girls do.”</p>
<p>Jon glared back at Thayet, striving to communicate without words that she wasn’t helping and indeed was only undermining his tenuous case with their daughter, before again trying to redirect Vania’s interest to a more suitable present. “Or maybe you’d like some toy soldiers?”</p>
<p>“I want a hippopotamus for Midwinter.” Vania’s lips pursed petulantly. “Only a hippopotamus will do, Papa.”</p>
<p>“Very well. You’ve made your wish plain.” Jon resisted the temptation to rub his temples because it wasn’t dignified to appear so defeated by a little girl’s stubbornness. He waved his hand in dismissal instead. “Run along to your afternoon lessons with your governess now if you won’t finish your peas.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Papa.” Vania stuck her tongue out at the peas on her plate to indicate how much they disgusted her, and then disappeared into her chambers to attend her afternoon lessons with her governess.</p>
<p>“What are we going to do with her?” Thayet shook her head in fond exasperation as Vania vanished from earshot.</p>
<p>“Get her a hippopotamus, I suppose.” Jon brought his goblet to his lips and took a deep, fortifying sip of wine. He would need plenty of wine to raise Vania with some surviving sanity, he noted inwardly. “Though perhaps not a live one. A small statuette of one might have to do for our Vania. That might teach her to be more reasonable in her holiday gift requests.”</p>
<p>“Very devious, Jon.” Thayet’s laughter was sudden and rewarding as it had been the first time his ears had been blessed with the hearing of it. “But I don’t think anything could convince our Vania to be more reasonable in her holiday gift requests.”</p>
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